Star Wars: Odyssey - BOOK 2: Balance
by Zulon
Summary: Defying what fate has in store for him, Revan and the Jedi Exile escape from the clutches of Vitiate's Sith Empire, only to find themselves stranded in the future. Alternate Timeline set within the Legends continuity, mixed with Canon elements.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Escape

Location: Kaas City

3950 BBY...

* * *

Forks of lightning lit up the sky on the swamp world of Dromund Kaas; a world where perpetual storms raged. Drenched by the rain, Meetra Surik was having difficulty suppressing the chill within her body. With the Dark Council having been purged on orders of the Sith Emperor, martial law had been imposed throughout the city. Imperial Forces had their hands full in quelling the uprising, but there was a sizable force between them and the Ebon Hawk. Even if they were successful, there was still the issue of the planetary lockdown to deal with. Looking over her shoulder, she found Revan propped against a duracrete wall, his silence deafening. Positioned nearby, T3-M4 let out an electronic whimper, seemingly sharing her concern.

"What happened to you...?" she whispered.

Apart from the sensory overload he had suffered when given his mask, he had seemed fine since their escape from the compound of Darth Nyriss. But when their Sith 'ally' proposed assassinating his own Emperor, Revan had promptly wiped Scourge's memories. Three years as a prisoner, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he wanted to return to Republic Space. However, it was rather out of character for him to want to leave something unfinished. Returning her attention back to the spaceport, Meetra saw only members of the Emperor's Guard. News of the of the Dark Council's massacre had gotten out, leading to unrest amongst the populace. Imperial Forces had their hands full in quelling the uprising, which would hopefully work in their favor.

"I sure hope you have some sort of plan," she said,

Not expecting a response, she was surprised when Revan strolled past, stopping at the mouth of the alleyway. Stretching out his hand, he gathered the Force within him and detonated a nearby landspeeder. This immediately drew away the guards stationed at the spaceport, giving them the opening that they needed.

"Since when do you know Force Combustion?" she questioned.

"There are plenty of abilities that I've not revealed to anyone," Revan answered.

Emerging from the alleyway, the former Dark Lord immediately heading in the direction of the spaceport. Meetra and T3 wasted no time in pursuing him, making it inside the terminal before someone stopped them. The spaceport had been cleared of all civilians because of services had been suspended, but there was still plenty of security personnel patrolling about. The two Jedi were quick to duck behind a support pillar, keeping themselves out of sight.

"I don't suppose you remember where you left the Ebon Hawk?"

"Yeah, but there's a good chance they'll have everything locked down," Meetra warned.

"Nothing that Teethree can't handle," Revan replied, the statement directed at the utility droid.

The droid twiddled a confirmation and emerged from behind cover, making a beeline for the nearest computer terminal. There were moments where they believed that T3 would be halted by the security personnel, but they didn't give the little droid a second thought. Reaching his destination, T3 extended an interface arm and plugged into the imperial network. As the little droid began slicing into the system, the seconds that passed moved at an agonizingly slow pace. Eventually, the droid unplugged himself from the terminal, flickering his photoreceptors to get the attention of the Jedi.

"He's unlocked the system," the former Dark Lord announced.

"Little guy never disappoints," Meetra commented.

"When I give the signal you make a break for it. I'll follow once it becomes safe for me to proceed."

Meetra nodded her head and dropped into a crouch, ready to break into a sprint at a moment's notice. Studying the positions of the security personnel, Revan waited until they were out of range before motioning for his companion to go. She took off like a shot, sprinting across the terminal with speed that had been enhanced with the Force. She reached the doorway in under a minute, immediately taking up position next to the utility droid. The Ex-Sith Lord watched as the guards as they continued their patrol, waiting for another opening to present itself. His patience paid off, as another opening did present itself, exactly as Revan had expected. He bolted out from behind the pillar and raced across the terminal, his booted feet ringing against the durasteel floor-panelling. It sounded louder to his own ears, and he half-worried that it would draw unwanted attention. Reaching his destination with no complications, T3 wasted no time in plugging into the dataport.

"Turn off the lights and open every door," Revan instructed, "We've got to distract them."

The droid twiddled an affirmative, and immediately plunged the entire terminal into complete darkness. They heard shouts of surprise from the security personnel, but even those were drowned out by the sound of the hanger doors sliding open. They slipped inside the second the doors allowed, the trio making a desperate sprit across the landing pad. The Ebon Hawk was waiting for them, exactly where the battered freighter had been left.

* * *

Location: Ebon Hawk

Three minutes later...

* * *

"Teethree! Activate the Laser Turret, provide some covering fire," Meetra ordered, entering the cockpit.

The woman slipped into the pilot's seat and strapped herself in, ignoring the pre-flight checks. There wasn't any time to do so, not when they had a planet full of hostile Sith potentially after them. She restarted the Ebon Hawk's systems, bring the ship to life before the repulsors lifted the craft off the ground. Angling the ship skyward, she redirected power to the engines and sent the Dynamic-class freighter in to orbit. The moment they were free of the planet's grip, they found themselves coming face-to-face with several Harrower-class dreadnaughts.

"Looks like they've established a blockade of the planet," she stated.

"Not surprising," Revan admitted from the doorway.

"Unidentified vessel, you are in violation of Imperial Edict - 1138. Return to the planet immediately or be destroyed," a voice warned through the communication system.

"I don't think they want us to leave," she stated.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The pair watched as Supremacy-class starfighters began streaming out of the hanger bays of the dreadnaughts like a swarm of locusts. They were on an intercept trajectory, their laser cannons unleashing bolts of crimson once they had gotten within firing range. The Ebon Hawk's deflector shields held out against the onslaught, but between being used as target practice for the Sith and crash landing on Malachor V, the vessel could hardly in fighting shape.

"Can you get us through that blockade?" Revan asked.

"I can try, but we definitely don't have the firepower to take on those dreadnaughts."

"We won't have to, the Ebon Hawk is faster then those Harrowers."

"Regardless, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep those fighters off of us."

Agreeing, Revan whirled around and headed down the corridor, his booted feet ringing against the durasteel floor. Reaching the dorsal gun turret, the redeemed Jedi climbed into the seat and took hold of the controls. Meetra was flying circles around the dreadnaughts, the Dynamic-class freighter proving itself too fast to be targeted by the warships turbo laser batteries. Despite that, he was intent on thinning out the enemy starfighters. With each shot unleashed from the turret, he bought them precious seconds needed to facilitate their escape.

"Gettin' kinda crowded up here!" he called out.

"Hyperdrive is charging, but Teethree needs more time to calculate the jump," Meetra reported.

Revan complied, vaporizing another starfighter, only for another three to quickly move it to fill the void. He felt the Ebon Hawk vibrate as several fighters managed to get past him, strafing the vessel with laser fire.

"Hang on!" she yelled.

He could hear the whine of the hyperdrive powering up, and he felt his stomach tighten in anticipation for the stars to elongate. Revan's ears were suddenly assaulted by a deafening explosion, the freighter having been struck by one of the Harrowers. He was violently thrown from his seat, slamming into the bulkhead with enough force to blur his vision. He caught a glimpse of the stars elongating, but he instantly knew that something was amiss. Agony tore through his body, and will only was the only thing that had prevented him from losing consciousness. When he opened his eyes and found himself staring down at his own body, he knew that something had gone terribly wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Adrift

Location: Coruscant

Evening...

* * *

Rain lashed the windows, rousing Jedi Knight Bastila Shan out of an already troubled sleep. There was a wrongness in the air, and the storm hammering the ecumenopolis seemed indicative of it. Sitting up in her bed, she looked towards the window, watching as a flash of lightning arc its way across the sky. She considered returning to sleep, but knew deep down that it wasn't something she would achieve. Sighing, Bastila tossed the blankets from her body, and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Planting her feet against the carpeted floor, she rose unsteadily to her feet and headed for the door. Smoothing out the wrinkles of her nightgown, she stepped into the apartment's small kitchen. She grabbed a drinking glass from the cupboard and turned on the faucet, allowing the tumbler fill with water. The storm continued to rage outside, and was surprised that it hadn't caused Vaner to awaken. Draining half the liquid from the glassware, Bastila decided she needed to check on her son. She heard her son's voice upon stepping into the darkened hallway, and chalked it up the boy simply talking within his sleep. But as she drew nearer to her son's bedroom, she soon realized that his words were far too comprehensive. The fact that he hadn't called out to her was alarming, especially given the ferocity of the storm. Stopping at the doorway, the former Jedi peered around the corner and found her son standing amongst the toys that lay forgotten on the floor. Clad in wrinkled sleepwear, the boy was the splitting image of his father, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and matching eyes. The boy was bathed in a strange blue glow, casted off by the ghostly figure standing the back of the room. Bastila was momentarily panicked at the sight of the intruder, but on closer inspection realized that it was her husband. Revan must've heard her gasp, as he immediately turned in the direction of the doorway.

"Bastila...," he began.

"Revan...," she said, heart filling with grief.

She had hoped that Meetra Surik would be successful in her husband home, but clearly the mission had ended in failure.

"It daddy," Vaner announced to his mother.

Something struck her as wrong, Vaner wasn't Force-sensitive and therefore shouldn't have been able to sense his father's Force Ghost. She looked at the boy, followed by his father, realization suddenly dawning on her.

"You're not..."

"We were trying to escape in the Ebon Hawk, buy something has severed my spirit from my physical body," he explained.

Though she should've been relieved that her husband hadn't perished, she didn't imagine that his current situation was much better.

"This is my punishment," Revan muttered aloud.

"What punishment?" Bastila asked.

"For thinking I could change destiny," he answered, "Our Sith 'ally' proposed we assassinate his own Emperor, but I foresaw what would become of us."

"Where are you? I'll bring help."

"There's nothing you can do to help me."

"That's poodoo," she spat, forgetting that Vaner was in the room with them.

"My comatose body is trapped onboard the Ebon Hawk, which is damaged and hurtling through hyperspace. There isn't anything you can do to help me."

Bastila's brown eyes turned downward, focusing themselves on the toys discarded across the carpet.

"This can't be how it ends."

"Nothing is ever how we want it to be," he admitted.

The pair was silent for a long moment, with Vaner's attention shifting between his mother and father.

"There is something I need you to do," Revan finally said.

"Anything."

"Place your knowledge into the Noetikon of Secrets."

The Noetikons were a trio of special holocrons capable of sifting through the vast storehouses of knowledge of the Jedi Archives. Out of the three, the Noetikon of Secrets was considered the most dangerous given its contents.

"Why?" Bastila asked, "Why ask this of me?"

"Because, I have foreseen a time when future generations will have need of it."

She hardly felt worthy of such a task, even if she had been turned back from the dark side, it was only through Revan that she had been able to do so.

"Alright," she relented, "I'll do it for you."

"Thank you..."

Revan let out a groan and doubled over in pain, much to the surprise of mother and child.

"Daddy!?" Vaner asked, as the man's dark eyes fell upon the boy.

He was amazed at how much his son resembled him, something that Teethree's holographic recording didn't convey accurately enough.

"Vaner...I'm glad that I was given this one chance to meet you," he stated, clearly in pain.

"Revan...," Bastila began.

"Something is pulling at me, it's feels as if I'm being dragged down. I don't think I'll be able to resist for much long."

"I love you," she blurted out, fearing she would never get the chance.

"I love you too. Remember: Place you knowledge into the Noetikon of Secrets."

"I will, I'll do it right away."

"Then I am at peace...," Revan said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it home to you."

Bastila watched as her husband allowed himself to fade away, bring tears to her eyes and causing Vaner to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Birth of Hope

Location: The Wellspring

26.5 ABY...

* * *

Slabs of rock floated in the sickly green sky, indistinguishable from the wisps of dark clouds. The landscape was barren and lifeless, appearing as if it had been scorched black by fire. Shards of red crystal protruded from the ground, serving as the only other colour in the realm.

"So this is what Hell looks like," Revan said, traversing a trail that was suspended over an endless drop.

He had been dragged into the depths of the Force, finding himself trapped in a place unlike any other. There were some cultures believed there was a place where life originated, an unseen realm where the unborn waited for their birth. This was indeed that place, with numerous motes of light slowly ascending towards the heavens.

"How long have I wandered this hellscape?" he wondered, walking across the landscape, "Years? Decades? Centuries?"

Turning his dark eyes skyward, he could sense through the Force that the galaxy was in turmoil. Sentient beings were dying by the thousands, as if something terrible had brought war to the galaxy. Glancing down at his left arm, he found that the limb had been devoured just below his elbow. There was something about the realm that was corrosive to his spirit, likely because he was a living soul and did not belong there. It had taken a monumental effort to preserve his essence, but he could feel that his strength was nearly depleted. As he continued traversing the bleak landscape, Revan came across a unborn soul that was partially hidden amongst the rocks. It struck him as odd that the soul appeared reluctant to leave the Wellspring, though he supposed he couldn't blame it. With the massive amounts of death he was sensing, anyone would've rightly been afraid. Dropping into a squat, the former Dark Lord could clearly see that the soul was quivering in fear. It was a bright soul, which he perceived to mean that he or she would have a connection to the Force. With only his right arm remaining, he reached forward, allowing his hand to hover over top of it. An orb immediately formed around it, instinctively protecting the soul that had yet to be born. Rising to his feet, the soul was drawn into Revan's open palm where it floated in place, it's quivering resuming. The moment he made physical contact, he found a single image burning itself into his mind. The image was that of a young boy with hair of pale red-gold, tracing lines in the sand. This is what the boy would look like, though he couldn't imagine every he saw would play out.

"Hello, little one," he greeted, causing the quivering to suddenly halt.

The image changed and he saw an older boy, kneeling by a river course, rubbing a smooth, round stone between his fingers and smiling. The same boy, perhaps ten-years-old, wrestling with a young Wookiee. The scene shifted once more, to a blonde-haired man holding the boy, watching the glowing lines of traffic move through the sky of some strange world-like Coruscant, but not Coruscant. None of the images seemed to include the boy's mother, which rightly caused him some concern. His thoughts turned to Vaner, and how he had been forced to grow-up without his father's presence. He sensed there was another presence viewing the same images, and a voice filled his mind.

 _"Ben?"_ the voice croaked.

Would this be the little one's name, or did it happen to belong to someone that the boy's father knew? Whatever the case might've been, he sensed the presence of the boy's mother trying to draw strength. He could tell that she was gravely ill, and perhaps that was the reason why she wasn't present in those visions. The trembling of the boy's soul resumed, as if he was terrified of the prospect of being born.

"I know the galaxy is a scary place right now, but you mustn't allow it to keep you here."

At the same time he was conversing with the boy's soul, he was also forging a Force Bond with him. He felt disgusted for doing so, but time was the enemy here and he was running out of options. The boy's fate would be forever altered because of this, and that did not sit well with him.

"You must go now, little one. There are those waiting for you to arrive."

Seemingly encouraged by his words, the soul drifted from his open palm, heading towards the sky.

"May the Force go with you, little brother. I place what little hope I have left with you," he declared.

Watching as the soul vanished, Revan was once more alone prompting him to continue on his walk. There was little else he could do, and though the waiting was the worst, he had done it enough already.

"I suppose if those doesn't pan out I can always through myself over the side," he stated grimly, taking a cautious look over the side.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: In Darkness

Location: Takodana

Eleven years later...

* * *

Rhythmic beeping filled the air, occasionally drowned out by the music that seemed to filter in from somewhere. The music suddenly became loud, becoming the only thing Revan could hear when the door slid open with an audible hiss. There were footsteps, and based on how far apart they where, he suspected they belonged to someone of diminutive stature.

"There has been no change in his condition," a voice said, belonging to a droid.

"I see," the newcomer said, clearly female, "His companion, where did she wonder off to?"

 _"Meetra? Did you make it after all?"_ Revan thought to himself.

It brought him some relief to know that his former General had managed to survive, though he wondered how much the galaxy had changed.

"She stated she was going down to Lake Nymeve."

 _"Where am I?"_

"Inform me if there are any changes," the woman instructed.

"Of course, mistress."

He sensed the woman linger momentarily, and suddenly a mournful whistle echoed around the room.

 _"Teethree? You're here as well?"_

He felt better knowing that familiar faces would be waiting for him, but his thoughts turned to Bastila and Vaner.

 _"Bastila...Vaner...are either of you even alive anymore?"_

He heard the footsteps resume, followed by the hiss of the door sliding open and then closed. The music to leak into the room for more then a few seconds, after which only the rhythmic beeping and the droid's movements became the prominent sounds filling the air.

 _"I can't stay like this,"_ he thought to himself, _"I have to wake up_."

Returned to his body, he had spent days in a coma, only recently achieving a semi-conscious state. He was unable to force himself back to full consciousness, he was becoming increasingly frustrated. With the Ebon Hawk having returned to real space, his body and spirit resonated, causing a disruption in the Force. That disruption had torn a rift in the Wellspring, and the Force Bond he had forged with Ben had led the boy to him. It might have taken eleven years, but he had finally found him, freeing him from the Wellspring.

 _"Wake up...Wake up...WAKE UP!"_

His eyes snapped open and he let out a gasp, hands tensing around the rough sheets of the bed. The lights overhead were bright, eclipsed only by the neon green fire that suddenly erupted from his right eye. His blood curdling screams immediately drew the attention of Teethree and the Medical Droid, who watched in horror as his left eye burst into flames.

 _"Oh my...,"_ the Medical Droid cried out in terror.

His screams had also drawn the attention of others, including the women who had paid him a visit early. As the door hissed open, it was her authoritative voice filled the impossibly small chamber.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

 _"The patient has awaked, but...,"_ the droid announced.

Revan shut his eyes, to extinguish the flames, but he knew that the damage was already done. It hadn't been enough to give up the majority of his spiritual body to escape the Wellspring, he had been forced to sacrifice his eyes as well. He opened his eyes and beheld only darkness, conformation that his suspicions had been well founded. The woman had approached his bedside, placing her wrinkled hands gently upon his own.

"Revan..., my name is Maz Kanata," she introduced, "Days ago, your ship made an emergency landing near my castle."

"Where am I?" he asked.

He ignored the fact that she knew his name, chalking it up to Meetra having revealed it to her.

"Takodana."

"I've never heard of it," Revan admitted.

"It is a world that was colonized fairly recently," Maz stated.

"How long...How long has it been?"

"It's best to let your companion be the one to break that news to you," she said, "Sidon, you'll find his companion be down at Lake Nymeve. Bring her here."

The unseen figure departed without a word, the door finally closing now that there was no one keeping it open. The fact that she was unwilling to tell him filled him with dread, making him not wishing to know the answer. While they waited, the medical droid conducted and examination, informing him that his eyes weren't damaged, but rather had paled. The flames had damaged his face, leaving a scorched burn mark around the flesh of his eye sockets and across the bridge of his nose. Meetra arrived some moments later, and would've made a beeline for his bedside had Maz not intercepted her. She was likely informing her of his suddenly blindness, so as not to have her be taken by surprise.

"Revan...?" she asked, stopping within the doorway.

He turned in the direction of her voice, revealing his pale eyes to his former General. Despite her best efforts, Revan he heard her let out a gasp, but decided to simply ignore it.

"Our savior won't tell me how long we were lost for, and I'm afraid to know."

"You don't want to know," she said,

"Tell me anyways," he instructed, "There's no point in trying to keep it a secret."

Taking a seat next to the bed, Meetra laid her hand atop of his, trying to gather the courage to tell him. She exhaled, finally deciding to simply come out and say it, knowing that he wouldn't take it well.

"It's been approximately four thousand years since the Jedi Civil War," Meetra explained.

"Four...thousand years?" he asked, eyes winding in horror.

"Yes. I never imagined that time travel was possible."

Hyperspace wasn't a science that was exactly well understood, thus anything was possible. He even knew of an ability that allowed a Force User to 'flow' backwards in time, allowing the individual to view past events. However, one couldn't directly alter the past, only the future, and that was to a limited degree.

"Everything...Everything we knew...it's gone," he muttered.

"I know, and I'm not sure what we're going to do."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Evicted

Location: Maz Kanata's Castle

Two days later...

* * *

Revan sat alone in one of the booths, a tankard of something strongly alcoholic helping to dull his pain. He had plenty of reasons, the most recent being the allergic reaction that he had suffered. In an attempt to treat the disfiguring burn on his face, the Medical Droid had administered Bacta. Although not allergic to the substance, he had unknowingly been given a contaminated supply. According to Maz, a group of rebels had tainted the Bacta supply decades earlier, which had then been funneled onto the Black Market. The alien woman had apologized, promising to have her supply checked out, not wanting there to be a repeat incident. Reaching up, Revan touched the strip of white cloth that covered his eyes, releasing out a hiss of pain. Sensing that someone was approaching, he lowered his hand and tried to muster his diminished Force powers.

"Hey, No-Eyes," a voice rasped, "That my booth."

There was no mistaking the sentient as a Trandoshan, a reptilian species hailing from the planet of Trandosha. Inhabiting the same star system as Kashyyyk, they were known for hunting both sentient and non-sentient species. This included Wookiees, who quickly developed a deep seated hatred of the Trandoshans.

"I'm sorry, didn't see your name written on it," Revan said after a moment.

"Well!?"

"Find somewhere else to sit your scaly-hide," he replied, letting anger into his voice.

"I'll tear your head off," the Trandoshan threatened.

"Whatever."

Turning sideways in his seat and crossed his arms, Revan had expected the Trandoshan to wonder off. Instead, he seized a hold of the table with one hand and ripped it out of the ground, tossing it aside. The sudden outburst everyone's attention, including the band which had stopped playing. The Trandoshan reached forward, attempting to wrap his claws around the offender's throat, but Revan quickly reacted. Gathering up what little Force powers he could muster, he seized a hold of his attacker telekinetically, hurled him into the ceiling. He kept him pinned there for several seconds, slamming him into the floor only when he could feel his strength giving out.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" a voice shouted.

He sensed Maz stepping into the chamber, likely having been alerted to the disturbance by Emmie. Violence of any kind was prohibited within the walls of the castle, a rule that the Pirate Queen strictly enforced.

"Avner, you're done. You as well, Bossk. Take you fighting elsewhere."

Not wanting to draw unwanted attention, he had requested that Maz used an alias, the same alias he had used while on Rekkiad. It had been when he had assisted members of Clan Ordo in locating Mandalore's Mask, before that fateful journey to Nathema. Without complaint, Revan rose to his feet and stepped over the Trandoshan's sprawled from. Reaching out with his left hand, he used the Force to guide himself as he made his way for the door. Emerging from the castle, the former Sith Lord discovered that the temperature had dropped with the setting of the sun. He made his way through the courtyard, trying his best to follow the dirt path that led down to Lake Nymeve. Being both blind and drunk, it was a task that was easier said then done, yet somehow he successfully navigated his way down to the shore. Having become a maelstrom of negative emotions, he was unable to find peace within himself.

"HEY! NO-EYES!" Bossk shouted.

The Trandoshan stalked forward, seizing the ancient Jedi by the shoulder and forcibly whirling him around. He was clearly incensed over the disrespect and seized him by the neck, his claws threatening to tear out his throat.

"NO ONE DISRESPECTS BOSSK!" he roared.

"Do you feel them?" Revan asked.

He was tapping into the Dark Side of the Force, forcing his way into the Trandoshan's consciousness.

"Feel what?"

"There are flames surrounding you...you're on fire!"

Bossk's eyes widened and he instinctively released his grip on the man's throat, freeing them to beat out the flames. Anyone who was watching would've seen nothing, but for the Trandoshan, the flames were very real. It was a Dark Side variation of the Jedi Mind Trick known as Mind Twist, which was capable of twisting a individual's perception of reality. Convincing someone that they was suffering a heart attack, their mind and body reacted as if such a thing was happening. Bossk dropped to the ground, rolling about in a desperate attempt to smother the non-existent flames. Stepping over the thrashing Trandoshan, Revan headed back in the direction of the castle, stopping only a few seconds later. A feeling of disgust struck him like a tsunami, and he turned around and looked back at Bossk. Without hesitation, he shoved the Trandoshan into the water with the Force, thereby breaking the illusion. He surfaced moments later, portions of his scaly-hide having suffered second degree burns.

"You should probably get those looked at," Revan instructed, "Next thing I'll far worse."

Without another word, the former Dark Lord turned around and walked away, leaving Bossk hissing in anger.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Second Flight

Location: Takodana

The next day...

* * *

Meetra had left Maz's Castle, heading down towards Lake Nymeve, where Revan now spent most of his time. It wasn't because he preferred the solitude, and everything to do with having been thrown out of the castle. One of the patrons had picked a fight with him, which had caused the former Dark Lord to lash out in anger. Violence of any kind was prohibited within the walls of her castle, and Maz hadn't hesitated in expelling him. She didn't tolerate such behavior, even when it came from a man who had recently been blinded. Teethree twiddled a complaint about the terrain, something the exiled Jedi couldn't help but scoff at.

"You traversed the Jungles of Dxun, yet complain about Takodana," she stated with a roll of her eyes.

The Utility Droid made no response, instead continuing along without another complaint. Arriving at the banks of the lake, she found Revan kneeling at the water's edge, completely motionless. He had clothed himself in his Jedi Robes, which had been laundered while he had been unconscious, with a strip of white cloth covering his damaged eyes. Meetra wondered how long he had been sitting there for, certainly long enough for several Dokma to actually grow bold enough to start crawling onto him. A species of shelled gastropods, they had been inadvertently introduced into the planet's ecosystem from Atollon. They were viewed as more of a nascence then anything else, and yet they had a somewhat cutesy appearance. As she neared, the Dokma dislodged themselves and quickly scuttled away, fearful of the newcomer.

"Something I can help you with?" Revan asked, his voice flat and emotionless.

He didn't even bother to turn in her direction, which further raised concerns regarding his wellbeing.

"The salvagers that Maz hired to repair the Ebon Hawk need the schematics," she stated, "I'm taking Teethree over to Andui to deliver them."

"Alright," he said

Something had become broken within her friend, and it wasn't just his body, but his mind and spirit as well. His behaviour was understandable, it wasn't every day that you woke up to find yourself propelled thousands of years into the future.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Meetra said.

"I'm aware."

Though not satisfied, she decided to not to push the subject any further, instead turning on her heel and heading back in the direction of the castle. Revan might not want her help at that moment, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be available for emotional support. Reaching the courtyard, Meetra found that a landspeeder had been parked and Emmie stood nearby.

 _"Greetings,"_ she said, _"Mistress Maz has suggested you use this landspeeder to reach Andui."_

"Please give her my thanks," Meetra said.

Using the Force, she lifted Teethree off the ground and placed him within the backseat of the speeder before climbing aboard herself.

* * *

Location: Andui

Two hours later...

* * *

Arriving at the hanger that Maz had rented out, Meetra Surik and T3-M4 disembarked the landspeeder. The hanger was large, capable of housing two starships side-by-side with room to spare. The alien woman had taken care of them after the Ebon Hawk's emergency landing, but her charity didn't come free. Once she had awakened, she had been immediately been put to work running errands for the Pirate Queen. With the Dynamic-class freighter no longer flight-worthy, Maz had called in favours to get it repaired. Entering into the hanger, she found the Ebon Hawk resting on a duracrete floor that had been stained with a myriad of chemicals and fluids. There was a man and woman inside, both relatively close in age, standing amongst numerous durasteel crates and tools.

"Excuse me, Maz said you were in need of our droid," Meetra stated.

Their attention was immediately drawn to her, and she felt their relief flooding through the Force.

"Good timing," the man said, approaching, "Zander Freemaker. This is my sister Kordi."

"Meetra Surik," she introduced, "This is T3-M4."

"I've never seen such a strange-looking droid," Kordi announced.

Teethree twiddled his indignation, turning his discus-shaped head so that he was facing none of them. If the Utility Droid had arms, then they would most certainly been crossed in annoyance.

"We can use the help," Zander admitted, "We're not sure where to begin with repairs."

"Sorry I couldn't get down here sooner. My friend regained consciousness and he's not doing well."

"Sorry to hear it," Kordi said, her words genuine.

"Mind telling me how you're going to conduct the repairs?"

"Not at all," the man said, "We're going to cannibalize component from a XS stock light freighter."

"Just as soon as our brother and Roger get back here with the ship," the woman added.

"The other systems are going to be replaced outright with parts Maz acquired from the Zann Consortium," Zander continued.

"And you can get that all done with only four of you?" she asked.

"What can we say; we're good at what we do," Kordi said.

She didn't doubt the woman's words, especially if Maz had been willing to hire them to repair and upgrade the Ebon Hawk. The air was suddenly filled with the sound of an approaching vessel, prompting the group to turn in the direction of the hanger doors. Meetra watched as another vessel entered the hanger, easily identifying it as being Corellian made. It settled upon the duracrete floor next to the Ebon Hawk, its boarding ramp descending to allow two figures to disembark. One was a human, years younger then his siblings, while the other was some sort of combat-oriented droid.

"Great job, Rowan. Did it give you any trouble?" Kordi asked the younger man.

"Controls were sticking a bit, but I was able to compensate," he stated.

As the siblings engaged in conversation, Meetra found her thoughts once again turning to Revan. She had offered to teach him to 'see' through the Force as Visas had shown her, but he had respectfully declined.

"Did you hear me?" Zander asked.

"Sorry?"

"I said: now that you've brought the droid, we can get started on the repairs."

"Oh..., right. Teethree, you're up."

The droid twiddled an acknowledgement, rolling himself towards a nearby computer that had been set up. Extending his interface arm, Teethree uploaded the Ebon Hawk's schematics into the terminal.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: New Sight

Location: Lake Nymeve

That same time...

* * *

Revan hadn't moved since Meetra left, all in an effort to overcome his physical weakness. He had been feeling that way since he had regained consciousness, and even tapping into the Force had become difficult. He felt like an undercharged fuel cell, likely due to having nearly sacrificed his spiritual body. That, coupled with his blindness and discovering that they had end up thousands of years into the future had left him feeling overwhelmed. Touching the pouch at his belt, he could feel the cube-shaped device tucked within it. It was a Datacron, one that contained the holovid that Bastila had stored within Teethree's databanks. He had had the Utility Droid transfer it into the Datacron, wanting to keep it with him at all times. It now had a renewed importance to him, especially now that it was all that remained of Bastila and Vaner. Removing the device from the pouch, he rolled it within his palms before activating it. Light defused around the device, projected a thirty-centimetre tall image of his wife cooing over his son. He had viewed the recording so many times that he had come to memorize it off by heart.

 _"I don't know if you'll ever see this,"_ Bastila said, adjusting a lock of hair on the boy's head as she spoke to the holorecorder, _"But I have to believe you'll return some day. And when you do, I thought you'd like to share your son's birthday."_

He sat motionless, with only the occasional ship flying by to disrupt the relative silence.

 _"Wave to Daddy,"_ Bastila said, pointing in the direction of the recorder, _"Say, We miss you!"_

The boy did as instructed, waving his tiny arm vigorously as he repeated his mother' words.

 _"I know we didn't discuss names before you left,"_ Bastila continued, _"But I called him Vaner. I want him to know who his father is. I want him to understand you are a part of him. I love you, Revan."_

He paused the Datacron, his thumb gently stroking the holographic image of his son's face. Choking back a sob, Revan deactivated the device and returned it to the safety of his belt pouch. Filled with a renewed bitterness, he resumed his meditation, doubting that he would benefit from it. As he opened himself to the Force, he heard a familiar voice whispering upon the breeze.

"Come to me..."

"Impossible," he muttered, believing that he had imagined it.

"I can help you..."

Rising to his feet at the voice's urging, he extended his left hand so as to feel his way with the Force. He headed into the forest, ever weary of the predators that had chosen to make their home within. Not wanting to accidently break his ankle, Revan had to force himself to take his time. A unpleasant odor reached his nose, one that reminded him of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. It was a smell that was all too familiar, belonging to a species of non-sentient arachnoids known as the Kinrath. Blind, they were capable of sensing heat to navigate and identify potential threats, which left him at a severe disadvantage. Swallowing, Revan continued forward, now forced to utilize Beast Control to keep them away. It wasn't a particularly good situation, not when he had to divide his already diminished Force powers. With his right hand holding the Kinrath at bay, the former Sith Lord continued forward, eventually reaching a small clearing.

"Hello? Are you here?" he asked.

"Indeed I am, my former Padawan," a voice greeted.

"Master...? Master Kae?" he asked, dropping to his knees.

She was his first teacher, and when he had learned all that he could, he returned to her to learn how best to leave the Jedi Order. For years she had engaged in a love affair with the Echani General; Yusanis, but had been exposed following the outbreak of the Mandalorian Wars. Exiled, he had welcomed her to the Revanchists with open arms, and would follow him into battle. It was thought that she had perished on Malachor V, though that would be proven untrue. She re-emerged in the years that followed the Jedi Civil War, posing as a woman named Kreia.

"Meetra..., she told me you had fallen to the Dark Side."

"I have come to hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole," she stated, not even denying the accusation.

It made sense that Master Kae would appear to him, she had relied on Force Sight for so long that he eyes had actually atrophied from disuse. Removing the bandages from his eyes, Revan looked up at her, seeing only the unending darkness.

"Alright. How do I restore my sight?" he asked.

"Your sight cannot be heal, you must learn to see things differently now."

"Your words are as cryptic as always, Master. Alright, what do I have to do?"

"You are willing then?" she questioned.

Meetra had offered to train him to see through the Force, but he had declined due to being too wrapped up in his own grief. Staring at the ground, Revan's blind eyes beheld only the unending nothingness that

"Yes..," he said, rising to his feet.

"You must be empty, there is only the Force."

It was ironic, given how she had come to despise the very thing that both Jedi and Sith relied upon: the Force. Having created a Force Chain between herself and Meetra, she had intended to end her life and create a massive wound in the Force, one that surely would've destroyed it.

"Now..., turn and walk forward."

"I got a bad feeling about this," he complained, though he did as instructed.

"And why is that?"

"Because those spiders are out there...waiting."

"How do you know this?"

"I hear them."

"Good. Keep walking," she encouraged, "The sound relates them to you, what else?"

"I can feel them in the ground, their vibrations when they move."

"Indeed, you are perceptive. Are they close?"

"No."

"Continue on then. How else do you relate to the spiders?"

"In the caves on Dantooine. Their foul smell, old and decayed."

"A fascinating description," Master Kae said, "You see much for one so blind."

"I remember what they look like."

"Then picture them, in your mind. Are they close?"

"No," he replied.

"Are you certain?"

Suspicious, Revan reached out with his right hand and felt it come into contact with something warm and moist. Jerking his arm backwards and stepped away, the Kinrath in front of him let out a hiss.

"What should I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Run. But there's another right behind me."

"You're beginning to see. Now, be empty and continue onward."

He immediately realized that neither of the Kinrath attempted to attack him, instead they shifted from side-to-side.

"Why aren't they attacking?"

"It is not in their nature," she stated.

"Well in my experience..."

"Because...you do not see them."

"You mean; see them for what they are."

"Look closer," Master Kae urged.

He tried to focus his senses upon the Kinrath, but could sense nothing of the predatory arachnoids.

"There's nothing, I can't sense them."

"Look within."

With his right hand stretched forward, Revan focused his senses, causing the Kinrath to let out a hiss.

"I sense...fear."

"From the spiders?"

"No. It's not the spiders...it's me. Fear...grief...anger. it's how the spiders see me, it's how I see myself."

"Ah ha! You're sight returns."

As if on cue the darkness faded from his sight, replaced with a photo-negative of the world around him. The Kinrath appeared to him as gray silhouettes, though they lacked any real definitions.

"Our connection to the Focus allow us to see in ways others cannot." Master Kae stated, "If you can see yourself, then you will never be truly blind."

"Thank you, Master. I'm glad there you still have lesson to teach me," he declared, walking away.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Heart to Heart

Location: Lake Nymeve

One hour later...

* * *

Sensing his approached, Maz turned in the direction of the forest, watching as Revan emerged from the foliage. He had torn away the bandage that covered his eyes, which now exuded a pale blue glow.

"It would seem that you've regained what you've lost," she stated, stirring the pot suspended over a cooking fire.

"Some..., but no all," he admitted, taking a seat in front of the fire, "I'm far from whole."

"But you've taken your first steps to regaining the balance within yourself."

"I can no longer feel the pull of either the light or the darkness."

"Then you must walk a path that is neither Jedi nor Sith," Maz said.

Her words struck a chord with him, causing his former apprentice's words to come flooding back to him.

 _"Savior, conqueror, hero, villain. You are all things, Revan...and yet you are nothing. In the end, you belong to neither the light nor the darkness. You will forever stand alone."_

No longer feeling the pull of the light or the dark, the former Dark Lord realized that he had instead acquiesced somewhere in the middle.

"It's ironic," he said, "Malak knew what I had become even before I did."

Maz nodded her head in understanding, reaching over to stir the contents of the cooking pot.

"It was said that the Jedi once wielded the Force in its entirety, before the schism that divided the Ashla from the Bogan."

"You're well versed," Revan stated, "Are you a Jedi?"

"No," she answered, "Though I am touched by the Force, I never trained as a Jedi."

A lingering silence settled over the campsite, broken only by the wood crackling within the fire.

"Perhaps you are correct. Maybe I need to become something else entirely."

"Then your path is clear."

"Will my path lead me to restoring my dwindling connection to the Force?"

"That I cannot say," Maz admitted, "You may return to the castle, provided you don't stir up any more trouble."

"Thank you," he said, "But what about you?"

"What about me? I personally enjoy having a nightly cook out."

"God, how long have I been wondering through that forest?"

"Long enough to have concerned your companion," she stated, "Though you seemed to have emerged no worse for wear."

"Could've had some warning about the Kinrath," Revan muttered.

"No one expected you to randomly go for a stroll in the forest."

"Point taken."

Rising to his feet, Revan had begun his journey back in the direction of the castle when Maz's voice reached his ears.

"Try not to set anyone else on fire," the woman said, "Bossk is claiming you used your 'Jedi Voodoo' on him."

"Sith Voodoo," he corrected, remembering what he had done to the Trandoshan.

Walking off, he arrived back at the castle not long after, and was through the front doors before he even realized it. The cantina was crowded as was typical, but he could sense Meetra's presence within the chamber. Feeling her surprise ripple through the Force, there was little doubt that she saw the change that had come over him.

"Mind if I sit?"

"You know you don't have to ask," Meetra said.

He took a seat next to his former General, struggling to find something to find the words that needed to be said.

"You've managed to see again."

"It was Master Kae's doing," he admitted.

"Kreia!?" she asked in disbelief, "I thought only Light-Siders had the capacity to manifest as Force Ghosts."

"That's always been kind of iffy," he stated.

A silence settled between the two, only broken when Revan struggled out the words that was on his mind.

"How's the Ebon Hawk?" he asked,

"It's a miracle that she's still in one piece," she answered, "Seem like the poor girl's been taking a battering recently."

"But they can fix it, right?"

"It going to take some time. Those salvagers that Maz hired to repair it seem to know what they're doing."

"Let's hope that they'll get her space-worthy again," Revan said, "...Sorry for pushing you away, you were only trying to help."

"I take no offence," Meetra replied, "It's understandable given everything that's happened."

"There's something I haven't told you regarding our time trapped within hyperspace."  
"What is it?" she asked.

"When we were fleeing from Dromund Kaas, my spirit became detached from my body," he admitted.

"Wait! What!?"

"For the past four thousand years, I was stranded in a realm where life is birthed into the Force, unable to escape."

"But you're here."

"Not because I was capable of escaping on my own."

She watched Revan suppress a visible shudder, the memory clearly a source of unpleasantness for him.

"How did you escape?" she asked.

"I had help," he admitted, "While I was trapped, I came across the soul of a boy not yet born. I forged a Force Bond with him, as a last desperate act to preserve myself."

"Shit! And he was actually able to find you?"

"Took eleven years, but yeah. Someone of lesser willpower would have died of insanity long before their spirit eroded away."

"That's pretty dark."

"It's completely true though," Revan stated, "What would've happened if the Ebon Hawk hadn't returned to real space when it did?"

"I'd rather not think of it."

"I try not to. Doesn't help."

Revan abruptly rose to his feet, intending to return to the room that Maz had assigned to him during their stay.

"Sorry for being such a downer."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Meetra said, "No. I had no idea what that must've been like."

"It was hell, and it's what cost me my sight."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Old Acquaintances

Location: Maz Kanata's Castle

Early morning...

* * *

Revan drifted awake, darkness filling his vision until he tapped into his dwindling connection to the Force. Everything became a photonegative of the surrounding space, but he could see nonetheless. Teethree must have sensed him sitting up, causing the Utility Droid to come out of Standby Mode. He twiddled out a question, prompting the former Sith Lord to wave his had dismissively.

"I'm fine, something just woke me," he insisted.

Something had been on his mind since he had awakened, now it seemed it was the perfect time to get some confirmation. Reaching over to the nightstand, Revan retrieved the datapad that rested on its surface. He ejected the datacard that was stored within the device, immediately offering it to the T3 Unit. The droid rolled out from the corner, taking the datacard with a multi-function arm and promptly stored it away.

"Find a banking kiosk and see if any of those account numbers are still active," he instructed, "Get me a calculation of how many credits are in each of them."  
Teethree twiddled out a acknowledgement and moved to the door, slipping out into the hallway beyond. Knowing that he would be getting anymore sleep, Revan rose to his feet and dressed himself. When he emerged, he found that an almost stillness had settled over the castle, which made sense given that most of the occupants had turned in. There was a few people within the cantina, tended to by the droid servers, while the cook in the back preparing meals when ordered. They weren't the quality that Strono Tuggs produced, but they helped to satisfy hungry travellers. Passing through, he headed for the door and stepped out into the massive courtyard. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but there were numerous flags suspended from the facade. He could made out the emblem of the Mandalorians and the Exchange, but many others were unknown to him. He continued forward, allowing his feet to carry him all the way down to the backs of Lake Nymeve. As he took a seat, he submersed himself into the Force, a task that had become difficult since he had awakened. He sought to reach out to Bastila, to see her one last time, but instead he could feel only nothingness.

"Where are you..."

There was an absence where she should be, which shouldn't have surprised him all that much. After four thousands year, it was unrealistic to think that her essence hadn't dissipated into the Netherworld of the Force. He sensed something taking shape and form behind him, and glanced over his shoulder to see the ghostly image of a dishevelled-looking man. He was dressed in simple robes, hardly the elaborate gold and white he remembered him wearing. His blonde hair was a mess, his face bearded, while his eyes were covered in a strip of white cloth.

"Hello Lucien...," he greeted, turning away.

The man was Lucien Draay, an old acquaintance of his from back when the Mandalorians were waging war against the Republic. He had briefly served as a member of the High Council, though his true loyalties lay with the shadowy cabal known as the Jedi Covenant. The group was obsessed with to preventing the return of the Sith, going to great lengths to ensure that it did not come to pass. A misinterpreted vision had led those of the First WatchCircle to slaughter their own students, framing a lone survivor for the crime. Malak was instrumental in clearing the name of Zayne Carrick, which was the only reason why he was privy to the Jedi Covenant's existence.

"Odessen...," Lucien began, "You must seek out the world of Odessen."

"And what will I find there?"

"Balance..., between the light and the darkness."

The ghost abruptly vanished from existence, leaving him alone on the shores of the lake.

"Nice talking to you," he muttered, surprised by the briefness of Lucien's conversation.

Sighing, Revan rose to his feet and headed back in the direction of the castle, seeing no other reason to remain there.

"I swear, if Atris shows up...," he grumbled, allowing the comment to remain unfinished.

He continued forwards, reaching the courtyard and discovered Teethree waiting for him to return. The droid let out a whistle and rolled towards the former Sith Lord, uncharacteristic fast.

"Did you manage to find the accounts?"

The droid twiddled out a confirmation, sputtering out the amounts contained in each of the accounts. Early on during the Mandalorian Wars, the Revanchists had operated without the consent of the Jedi Council. To support their scouting missions, they had accepted charitable donations, some of which he had invested in several companies. Some of those accounts had been used in the establishment of his Sith Empire, but many others had remained untouched, even after the Jedi Civil War. He had utilized one such account, when he and Bastila had settled down, before the nightmares that had driven him to seek out the world that haunted him.

"There's how much!?" he asked, thinking he had misheard.

The droid was prompted to repeat himself, making it clear what he had uncovered.

"Fierfek!" he swore, having never expected to have the amount of wealth that he had manged to accumulate.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Setting Out

Location: Maz Kanata's Castle

Two days later...

* * *

Standing before a full-length mirror, Revan scrutinized the reflection upon its surface. Emmie had delivered a case to his room, containing a set of robes similar to the armour he had worn during his reign as a Sith Lord. He couldn't fathom why Maz would select such an outfit, but had to remind himself that he had worn them during the latter stages of the Mandalorian Wars. Shrugging, he collected the Mandalorian mask that made him both an icon and symbol. Just looking at it cause a flood of memories, particularly the one when he had discovered it on Cathar.

 _"I don't know your name—but I take up your cause. I will not remove your mask until there is justice—until the Mandalorians have been defeated once and for all. So swears…Revan!"_

They had been granted a vision of Cassus Fett committing genocide against the Cathar, yet one Mandalorian woman had tried to dissuade them. She had perished along with the Cathar, but it had served as the catalyst to swell the ranks of the Revanchists. It was on that day that he had cast aside his old identity, choosing to become known only as Revan. His comlink abruptly let out a beep, prompting the former Dark Lord to quickly answer it.

"Yes?"

 _"Teethree and I have arrived at Andui,"_ Meetra reported, _"Rowan's going to give us a tour of the Ebon Hawk and show us what's been replaced."_

"Alright, I should be along shortly."

Cutting the connection, Revan headed for the door, stepping into the hallway when it slid open. He could hear music playing from the cantina, though it wasn't to the near deafening level. He found Maz seated at one of the larger tables within the room, surrounded by all sorts of unsavory individuals. Spotting the war hero as he approached, the alien woman was quick to dismiss her companions.

"Let us conclude this conversation later," she suggested.

As the group disperse, Maz immediately focused her complete attention on the former Sith Lord.

"You are leaving then?" she asked.

"Yes. It's time that we depart," he admitted, "I've got a lead on where I can restore my connection to the Force."

"That's good to hear."

"Have you heard of a world called Odessen?"

"No, though I suspect you may need to consult the Jedi Archives to find the information you seek."

"Not feeling too eager on doing that," he commented.

He knew that he might not have a choice, as it all hinged on whether or not the navicomputer had an updated galaxy map. It was possible that information on such a world might've been redacted by the Jedi Council, making infiltrating the Jedi Temple the only option.

"I suppose these robes were meant to leave a lasting impression?"

"Perhaps," she replied smugly.

Releasing an irritated sigh, Revan looked away, having wanted to maintain a low profile.

"You cannot keep yourself hidden forever."

"You may have a point," he reluctantly admitted.

"I've heard whisperings of a cult that has emerged recently," Maz warned, "They seek to emulate your ways."

"Oh wonderful, I always wanted a cult of devoted followers."

Through his words were sarcastic, they were barely capable of concealing the revulsion he felt. He was no prophet, nor did he have any inclination for becoming one for a group of fanatics.

"Be careful out there, and my the Force be with you."

"And you as well," Revan said, "Thank you for coming to our aid."

* * *

Location: Andui

Two hours later...

* * *

Meetra was amazed at how quickly the Freemakers had gotten the Ebon Hawk shipshape. Currently she and Teethree were following Rowan through the interior, finishing the tour he had been giving them.

"I'm impressed," she said, "I thought you'd be working on her for weeks."

"We operated our own repair business during the Galactic Civil War, so we know our way around a ship," Rowan stated.

"What about you brother and sister? I noticed they weren't here."

"They had to return to the Wheel. We've taken a contract with the Jedi Order to help refurbish some vessels for them."

"I see."

"Anyways...we've went ahead and replaced the navicomputer and updated it as best we could."

"What about the controls?" Meetra asked, Have they changed drastically?"

Her concerns were understandable, if they couldn't figure out how to fly the Ebon Hawk then they wouldn't be getting off Takodana.

"We didn't replace the instrument panel," he replied, "Switched out some of the sensors and gauges where necessary, but you'll have no trouble in flying."

"That's a relief."

"Well, that's basically it for the grand tour."

"Thanks for all the help."

"It was no problem."

Teethree twiddled out an advisory that he had detected someone else boarding the Dynamic-class freighter. A short while later Revan stepped into the corridor that connected the cockpit with the ship's main hold.

"We ready to go?" he asked, adjusting the Madalorian mask tucked under his left arm.

"Just finished the tour," Meetra stated, slipping into the pilot's seat.

"Good luck out there," Rowan said.

"I appreciate the repairs," Revan thanked, offering his hand.

"It was no problem at all."

The two men shook hands, with the younger Freemaker taking his leave immediately after. Watching as he disembarked the vessel, Meetra turned in her seat, glancing at her former commander.

"Where to?"

"Odessen."

"Never heard of it," she said.

"Nor did Maz," he admitted, consulting the navicomputer.

It quickly became apparent that he had been correct in his assumption, Odessen was not listed in the navicomputer's database.

"It's not here."

"What's so important about this planet anyways?"

"Lucien said we needed to find it. That I would find balance there."

"Lucien...Lucien Draay? I'm surprised that he paying you a visit," she admitted, "He was the most vocal in his opposition for Jedi intervention during the war."

"So was Dorjander Kace, but then he was a traitor."

A member of the Jedi Council, Dorjander Kace had been a prisoner of the Mandalorians during the Great Sith War. Willingly adopting their warrior lifestyle, he had taken a Mandalorian lover and sired a child. Both had perished in a Republic bombing, furthering his disillusionment with the Republic. Pressure from the Republic had forced off the Jedi Council, prompting the Jedi Master to join the Revanchists. It wasn't to fight against the Mandalorians, but to clandestinely provide them with Force-wielding Mandalorian Knights.

"What now?" Meetra asked.

"Set a course for Coruscant."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Infiltration

Location: The Ebon Hawk

Evening, the next day...

* * *

A detailed blueprint of the Jedi Temple hovered in the air, displayed by the holoprojector in the main hold. Teethree had managed to downloaded them from the Reconstruction Authority's archives, providing Revan and Meetra with the means of developing a plan.

"Are you sure you want to be the one to do this? I could do it, or maybe Teethree."

"No. Someone needs to fly the ship and Teethree's...unique appearance will most certainly draw unwanted attention."

"And we can't fly the Ebon Hawk to the Temple Precinct because we'll definitely draw the attention of the CSF," Meetra commented.

In his current state, the former Dark Lord certainly didn't want to risk trying to fly the Dynamic-class freighter. He also wasn't confident about infiltrating the Jedi Temple either, but somebody had to do it. Entering the main hold, the utility droid let out a twiddle as he rolled up, brandishing a computer spike.

"Thanks, Teethree," Revan said, taking the device.

It wasn't like the computer spikes from their era, instead it was a long and cylindrical device, meant to be plugged into the interface port. Tucking it away, he removed the new Lightsaber he had crafted and pressed his thumb against the activation stud. A blade of pure plasma ignited from the hilt with a snap-hiss, bathing everything in an amethyst glow.

"Well that brings back memories," Meetra commented.

"It should, it's my original Lightsaber colour."

He had wielded a purple-bladed Lightsaber prior to reorganizing the Revanchists under the banner of the Republic Mercy Corps, choosing to adopted a blue crystal in a show of unity. He had swapped out the crystal for a red one after Vitiate had turned both he and Malak to the Dark Side. He had wielded it until his capture by a Strike Team led by Bastila, which had gotten lost in all the confusion. Following his brainwashing at the hands of the Jedi Council and his subsequent retraining in the Jedi Ways, he had constructed a new Lightsaber consisting of a green blade. Now things had come full circle, and now he once more wielded a purple-bladed Lightsaber.

"I'm heading out," he announced.

"Let me know when you need pickup."

Nodding his head, Revan grabbed his mask and made his way for the ship's boarding ramp.

* * *

Location: Coruscant

One hour later...

* * *

There was something distinctly off about the Galactic Capital, and the passage of four thousand years had little to do with it. The Yuuzhan Vong had conquered the ecumenopolis, who pulled it closer to Coruscant Prime, which had caused a rise in temperature. The largest of the moons had been destroyed, creating a ring of debris that encircled the planet. The invaders had razed it's durasteel towers, terraforming the entire planet into a replica of their lost homeworld; Yuuzhan'tar.

"Here we are," the Duros cabbie announced, bringing Revan out of his thoughts.

Glancing out the window of the airspeeder, he spotted the Jedi Temple, which was barely recognizable. The 'new' Jedi Temple consisted of a collection of transparisteel pyramids that had been tinted green. Despite the outward appearance, the blueprints hadn't deviated all that much in four millennia. They bypassed the temple completely, instead the Duros brought his airspeeder down in an area called the Fellowship Plaza. It was a public space located between the Jedi Temple and the Galactic Justice Center, built during the reconstruction of Coruscant. He had chosen to walk the rest of the way, rather then risk drawing the attention of the security forces. Paying the cabbie, Revan emerged from the vehicle and stood amongst the neatly trimmed Blartrees. The cab took off moments later, leaving the former Sith Lord alone within the night-shrouded plaza. He booted feet carried him towards the edge of the Fellowship Plaza, which was vacant at that hour. It had been ages since he had stepped foot within the temple, the final time having been when he had sought out information regarding the whereabouts of Meetra. He had encountered Atris while in the archives, who mocked his attempts at regaining his lost memories. As Revan marched across the Processional Way, he slid on his mask and pulled the hood up over his head. It wasn't long before he had neared the main entry staircase, and by that time it had begun to rain. The former Jedi activated the cloaking device that was attached to his belt and concealed his presence in the Force. As weak as he was, he couldn't risk expending too much Force energy trying to keep himself from being detected. Deception would be his ally in this situation, and he intended to use it to its fullest extent. There were a pair of Jedi Knights were on guard duty at the entrance, but neither detected him as he passed, stepping through to the Great Hall.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Encounter

Location: Jedi Temple

Fifteen minutes later...

* * *

Ben lay in bed, hands folded onto of his stomach as he stared blankly into the bare ceiling of his bedroom. Something had roused him from his rest, and he hadn't been able to return to sleep. Growing increasingly bored and frustrated, the boy flung the blankets from his body and rose to his feet. Knowing that he wouldn't be getting back to sleep, he approached his dresser and collected his Lightsaber. Not bothering to change out of his pajamas, he proceeded to the door, which slid open upon detecting his presence. Poking his head outside, Ben heard only the silence that had settled over the apartment suite. Both of his parents were in bed, something he knew that he should've been doing, but which was otherwise unobtainable. Hoping that a training session in the dojo would be enough to tire him out, the youth slipped out the door and tiptoed down the hallway. Entering into the living room, he made a beeline for the front door, punching the code into the keypad that would allow him to exit the apartment. Stepping out into the Larmalstone hallway, Ben allowed his bare feet to carry him all the way to the turbolift. Boarding it, the boy hesitated in pressing any of the buttons, sensing something pulling at him. Closing his blue eyes, he focused on the Force itself, detecting a presence within the temple. Having not pressed a button on the control panel, the doors shut automatically and began a decent to the ground floor. He felt the presence only grow it strength as the car descended, prompting the boy to abruptly slam the palm of his hand against the emergency stop button. The doors opened to the temple's archive level, where he could feel the presence was at its strongest. Stepping out of the turbolift, he headed towards the archive, stopping only when he had reached the entryway. Peering around the corner, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, only a few knights conducting research or the occasional archivist.

"This one does not believe that young Skywalker should be breaking curfew," a voice hissed.

Letting out a yelp, Ben turned to find himself staring into the slitted pupils of Jedi Master Saba Sebatyne. Though he was adamant that he had outgrown his childhood fear of the Barabel, there were still instances where she unnerved him.

"There's an intruder," he whispered, "I can sense them."

Saba's crimson eyes narrowed, her full attention becoming focused on the near vacant archives, which had been painstakingly rebuilt by Jedi Master Tionne Solsuar.

"This one does not see the intruder," she stated, her features hardening, "But this one smellz them."

The Barabel was immediately on the move, stepping through the entryway and into the sprawling archives. His curiosity getting the better of him, Ben ducked down one of the aisles to watch the events as they unfolded.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Saba demanded, "THIS ONE CAN SMELL YOUR PRESENCE!"

The Jedi Knights who were occupying the archives looked around in bewilderment, unable to sense what the Barabel did. Ben witnessed a ripple rising up out of one of the terminal chairs, like heat rising off hot duracrete. There was a crackle of energy and suddenly the intruder became visible, the personal cloaking device having failed. The boy felt his heart go into his throat, as the robed and masked intruder was one of the Revanites. Jacen had told him of the cult when they had encountered a member at the Pius Dea Spaceport, during that fateful assignment to Taanab. Taken by surprise at the cultist's unexpected appearance, those Jedi Knights present within the archives immediately went on the defensive.

"I have no intention on fighting you," the man declared, his voice sounding eerily familiar to Ben.

"Then you would not have been so bold as to break into our Temple," Saba stated.

"I doubt you'd have been so forthcoming as to provide me with the information I seek if I had asked."

"You cultists have been crawling out of the woodworks for weekz. What is it that you are after?"

"You think I'm one of those fanatics?" he scoffed, "I am no prophet, nor do I have need for a group of devotees."

Anything that Saba had intended to say were quickly interrupted when the intruder seized a hold a nearby Bronzium bust, hurling it at her with the Force. The Barbel was forced to twist her body as the makeshift missile hurtled past, narrowly avoiding being hit.

"TEETHREE, CUT THE POWER!"

Before anyone could react, the entire archive was plunged into darkness, with the emergency backups quickly activating. Everything became bathed in crimson, but that didn't provided enough illumination, even with active lightsabers. Keeping himself hidden within the aisle, Ben caught a glimpse of a silhouette making for the entryway. A violet line cut through the darkness, angling itself for an upward slash that made contact with Saba's purple blade. The Barabel's lightsaber was forced upward, providing an opening that allowed the intruder to drive his foot into her stomach. Letting out a grunt, the Jedi Master was sent crashing into the shelf, showering Ben with falling datatapes and datacards. He heard the squeak of boots against the Larmalstone tiles, and knew that he had fled into the hallway. Saba let out a snarl and launched herself out into the hallway, hitting the emergency alarm along the way. She was intent on pressuring the intruder, and the youth couldn't help himself but race after the pair.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Extraction

Location: Jedi Temple

Evening...

* * *

Despite the few years that he had lived, Ben knew that pursuing the intruder was just the most recent in a list of bad decisions. The temple remained dark, with only the glow of Master Sebatyne's Lightsaber to indicate where the Barabel was located. She was still in pursuit of the Revanite, who was racing down the hallway towards the Temple's main hall. The Temple Security Force was noticeably absent, with the power outage being the logical reason why they hadn't arrived on the scene. Another possibility was that the Temple Security Force was made up of individuals who lacked Force-sensitivity, whereas intruder was Force-sensitive and had thus far proven to be dangerous. Even the Knights and Masters weren't present, which came as a concern to the boy. Even those who had been present within the archives were nowhere to be found, which came as a surprise. As they approached the main hall, Ben watched in disbelief as the intruder leapt onto the railing and launched himself onto a nearby pillar. He performed a one-handed slide down to the ground floor, with Saba leaping the railing and plunging towards the ground floor. Reaching the railing mere seconds later, he discovered that the Barabel had reengaged the intruder. Climbing onto the railing, Ben followed the Revanite's example and leapt onto one of the pillars. He needed to utilize the Force to adhere himself to it, lest he suffer a bone shattering fall. As he slid his way to the ground, the boy could hear the clashing of Lightsabers, but couldn't see what was happening. Reaching the base of the pillar, Ben abruptly fell backwards, striking the back of his head on the Larmalstone tile floor. The young Skywalker let out a hiss and clutched it in pain, momentarily forgetting about the Lightsaber duel that had broken out. Rolling onto his stomach, he pushed himself up off the floor and positioned himself behind the pillar. Twin purple Lightsabers clashed against one another, with the Barabel being the one to break the saber lock. The intruder twisted away as Master Sebatyne attempted to slash him from hip-to-hip, only succeeding in cutting through part of his cape. Reaching out with his left hand, the mask-wearing man seized a hold of her cloak telekinetically and yanked it over her head.

"YOU'RE BEING SMOTHERED BY YOUR CLOAK," he declared.

Saba abruptly dropped her Lightsaber and let out a frantic cry, clawing at the fabric in an effort to free herself. With the Barabel distracted, the intruder headed towards the temple entrance, limping noticeably. Using the pillars as cover, Ben followed after him, his grip tightening against the hilt of his Lightsaber. The two Jedi who had been assigned to guard the entrance where racing to meet the intruder, their Lightsabers already active. He had deactivated his own, instead using the Force to pull the Jedi towards him and clothes-lining them both. Laid out on the floor, the masked-man proceeded forward and headed out into the storm that was raging outside. Without even thinking, Ben raced outside after him, finding that he was already making his way across the Processional Way.

"STOP!" Ben screamed, launching himself into the air.

The rain quickly saturated his pajamas, but he chose not to let it bother him as he landed behind the man. Stopping dead in his tracks, the robed and masked individual slowly turned around and glared at the boy. He felt a flicker of surprise emanate from the man, and probably would've cocked an eyebrow had he not been wearing a mask.

"Ben...?"

"Who are you!? How do you know my name," he demanded.

"I..."

Anything he was going to say was quickly drowned out by the arrival of a battered freighter, which somewhat resembled the Aurebesh symbol - Enth. The intruder whirled around with the intention of leaving, prompting Ben to ignite the sapphire-blade of his Lightsaber.

"I SAID STOP!"

The boy rushed forward, swing the blade of energy in a horizontal arc that would've bifurcated the man had he not back-flipped behind him. He angled the weapon upward, sheering through the remainder of the man's cape before he landed behind him. Twisting his body, Ben swung at him in an overhead strike, only for the man to seize him by the wrists. He had a vice-like grip and by applying more pressure, he forced the boy to drop his Lightsaber. Clattering against the duracrete, the hooded-man kicked it away with his foot and kicked Ben's feet out from beneath him. Slammed into the ground, he could only cry out as his arm was twisted painfully behind his back.

"Your rashness is going to get you killed, little brother."

Ben was frozen in shock, his mind reeling in disbelief at what the man had just referred to him as. Feeling the pressure on his arm suddenly relax, he immediately rolled onto his back and sat upright.

"WAIT!" he yelled at the departing figure.

"I don't have time to indulge you."

Leaping onto the extended boarding ramp and disappearing inside, Ben could only watch as the ship headed into orbit. Rubbing his arm, he climbed to his feet and searched around for where his Lightsaber had ended up. Retrieving the weapon, he immediately headed back in the direction of the Jedi Temple. The boy had barely managed more then a few feet before he came across a satchel lying on the ground. At first he feared it might be a bomb, but when nothing happened he cautiously approached it. It felt heavy within his hands and he could see that the material that kept it secured to a belt had become frayed by a Lightsaber. He thought back to the duel with Saba, surmising that it must've been damaged at that point. With youthful curiosity getting the better of him, he opened it and pulled a silver cube free.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Revelations

Location: Jedi Temple

Five minutes later...

* * *

By the time Ben had stepped back inside the Temple, he discovered that power had finally been restored. The main hall was crowded with security personnel and several Jedi, his parents among them. His father was currently speaking with Kyle Katarn, a fellow member of the Jedi High Council.

"Master Zuma is going though and checking to see what might've been stolen from the archives," he reported.

"Keep me informed," Luke instructed, "And have Master Horn reach out to his contacts within the CSF. Let's see if we can't find out where our intruder came from."

"Understood, Master Skywalker."

As Master Katarn walked away, his mother stopped him approaching, leaving a trail of water behind him.

"Ben, you're soaking wet," he said, stating the obvious.

"I tried to stop the intruder...," he announced, trailing off.

"You shouldn't have done that," his father lectured.

The boy could feel his eyes glazing over, then suddenly remembered the cube that the man had dropped.

"He dropped this."

Handing the satchel over, his mother gave him a looked that made it seem as if he were trying to hand over a live Thermal Detonator. Taking the pouch from him, Luke reached inside and carefully removed the silver cube. He held it up to the light, turning it over in his hands and inadvertently drawing the attention of a nearby Kyp Durron.

"Is that a Holocron?" he asked, approaching.

"If it is, then it's the plainest-looking Holocron I've ever seen," another voice said.

Turning around, Ben discovered that Master K'Kruhk had approached them from behind.

"Holocube then," Kyp offered.

"I think it's a Datacron?" Luke stated, accidently activating the device.

Light suddenly defused around the object, projecting a thirty-centimetre tall image of a woman cooing over a small boy.

 _"I don't know if you'll ever see this,"_ she said, adjusting a lock of hair on the boy's head as she spoke to the holorecorder, _"But I have to believe you'll return some day. And when you do, I thought you'd like to share your son's birthday."_

 _"Wave to Daddy,"_ she instructed, pointing in the direction of the recorder, _"Say, We miss you!"_

They watched as the boy did as instructed, waving his tiny arm vigorously as he repeated his mother' words.

 _"I know we didn't discuss names before you left,"_ she continued, _"But I called him Vaner. I want him to know who his father is. I want him to understand you are a part of him. I love you, Revan."_

"Are we honestly expected to believe that a four thousand year old ex-Sith Lord is the one who broke into our Temple?" Kyp questioned, tearing his eyes away from the image.

"Why not?" Mara asked, "It would hardly be the weirdest thing we've ever had to contend with."

"Point taken," he admitted with a roll of his eyes.

"But why after four thousand years has Revan suddenly returned?" K'Kruhk asked.

Ben bit down on his lower lip, knowing exactly the reason for why a notorious Sith Lord had returned. Now it was an undisputable fact, it had been the spirit of the former Darth who had been trapped within the Wellspring. His reaction went unnoticed by the others, which was fortunate since he had no desire to be interrogated.

"Master K'Kruhk, was there any information that existed prior to the Jedi Purge that might've detailed what happened to Revan?" Luke asked, knowing that despite Tionne's best efforts, there was still a great deal of information that had been forever lost.

"Only that he vanished approximately two years after the Jedi Civil War," he answered, "It was believed that the Jedi Exile left in search of him, but neither of them returned."

"Until now," Mara said, "Saba was lucky she wasn't killed facing him."

Unrivaled as a duelist, Revan had the distinction of being regarded as one of the greatest warriors of his era.

"You think he'll come back?" Kyp questioned, gesturing to the Datacron.

"More then likely," the Grand Master replied, "Best we hang onto it for him."

"What if he's not on our side?" Ben asked before he could stop himself.

"It seemed as if he was purposely going out of his way to try and avoid a confrontation," Luke stated, "He only afflicted her mind with some variation of the Jedi Mind Trick. She was actually convinced that she was being smothered."

"You should get changed out of those clothes," he mother suggested, "You'll catch a cold."

Looking down at the Larmalstone floor, Ben discovered that a sizable puddle had formed at his feet. Deciding that he had little reason to argue, he turned and made his way towards the nearest turbolift.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Restoration

Location: Ebon Hawk

Three days later...

* * *

Revan sat cross-legged on the floor of the portside dormitory, brooding over the loss of the Datacron. Upon realizing that he had lost it, he had intended to storm the Jedi Temple to retrieve it. It was all he had of Bastila and Vaner, as the original recording was no longer stored within Teethree. Meetra had managed to convince him that such a plan was foolhardy, citing that the temple would be under lockdown. Though he loathed to admit it, there was a certain comfort that came with knowing that the Datacron was potentially in the hands of the restored Jedi Order. Sensing that Meetra was standing in the doorway, he turned his head and regarded her with his blind eyes.

"Something I can help you with?" he asked.

"We're about to drop out of hyperspace," she reported.

"I'll be there in a moment," he said.

She left without another word, leaving him once more to try and connect with Bastila, but to no avail. It was as if her presence she was completely absent, though his diminished Force abilities was likely to blame. Sighing, he rose to his feet and exited the dormitory winding his way through the freighter until he arrived at the cockpit. Meetra had settled within the pilot's chair, her hands occupied with returning the vessel to real space. The blue tunnel of hyperspace was replaced with streaks of light of distant stars, which themselves replaced with a blue planet.

"There it is, Odessen," she announced.

"What do the long-range sensors say?" Revan asked.

"Atmosphere is breathable...obviously," the woman stated, "Can't imagine Lucien would send us to an inhospitable world."

"Landmasses?"

"Mountainous with large oceans."

"Alright..., go ahead and take us down," he instructed.

"Here we go," she said, beginning their decent.

The friction generated by entering the atmosphere caused flames to spread across the viewport, reducing visible to zero. Letting the Force guide her, Meetra was able to navigate without having to relying on the Ebon Hawk's sensors. Once they were through the atmosphere, visibility cleared and they found blue skies waiting for them.

"I'll head for the nearest landmass," she stated.

The former Dark Lord nodded, but remained standing, as he had during the entire decent onto the planet's surface. Kicking up water from Odessen's blue oceans, Meetra brought the Ebon Hawk down on the largest of the planet's landmasses.

* * *

Location: Odessen

Five minutes later...

* * *

Setting down, Revan and Meetra emerged from the Ebon Hawk, beholding a landscape of forests, mountains, and rivers.

"There's something strange about this planet," she stated, taking in the view.

"Light and dark; perfectly in balance," the ex-Sith Lord announced.

"It's significantly better then Nathema."

He heard her shudder, understandable given how Vitiate had stripped then Force from the entire planet. He felt energized simply by standing there, though it wasn't enough to rejuvenated his connection to the Force.

"Stay with the ship," he instructed, walking away from the freighter.

"Where are you going?" Meetra inquired.

"To find somewhere where I can meditate in peace."

Heading away from the landing site, Revan surrendered to the Force, allowing it to be his guide. After walking for what seemed like hours, he arrived in a small valley situated next to a river feed by a nearby waterfall. He looked around, seemingly confirming that this was the place where he needed to be. Walking forward once more, he stopped within a clearing that sat amongst the towering trees. Taking a seat on the ground, Revan crossed his legs and allowed the Force to flow through him. A tingling sensation seemed to spread throughout his entire body, a sure sign that his strength returning. It seemed appropriate that he recite something, but neither the Jedi nor the Sith codes seemed the logical choice. His thoughts turned to his days as a Padawan, when Master Kae had taught him about the Je'daii. They were the original Force-users of Tython, wielding both Light and Dark in equal measure. He only had Master Kae's oral teachings to rely on, as Ossus had already been devastated by the Cron Supernova. Their Code was one such piece of surviving information, and he immediately turned it.

 _There is no ignorance; there is knowledge._

 _There is no fear; there is power._

 _I am the heart of the Force._

 _I am the revealing fire of light._

 _I am the mystery of darkness._

 _In balance with chaos and harmony._

 _Immortal in the Force._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Dark Legacy

Location: Odessen

Three hours later...

* * *

Enveloped by a yellow nimbus, Revan felt his strength not only returning, but increasing as well. The roar of the nearby waterfall assaulted his ears, drowned out by the occasional cry of some wild animal. Sensing a presence manifesting behind him, the former Jedi probed outward with his senses.

"Come to gloat, Atris?" he asked, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice.

 _"Revan,"_ the historian said, her tone cold and harsh.

Rolling his blind eyes, he imagined that their interaction would be as productive as it had the last time. Righteous to the point of arrogance and fanaticism, she took criticisms against the Jedi Order very personally. Embodying everything she rejected, it was little surprise that they had always butted heads.

 _"You should not be here!"_

"In case you haven't noticed, I haven't exactly been in control of my situation."

 _"You should've stayed away,"_ Atris said, _"Your defiance against the wishes of the Jedi Council has brought nothing but ruination to the galaxy."_

"The Mandalorians were steamrolling the Republic! All you and the Jedi Council were content with doing was sitting around and debating."

 _"The true threat had yet to reveal itself."_

"Is that what you told yourself when you used the Jedi on Kataar as bait?" he questioned, turning to face her.

Having convinced the remaining Jedi to gather on the Miraluka colony world to discuss the future of the Jedi Order, Atris had leaked information about the conclave. Intending to use her fellow Jedi as bait to draw out the emerging threat targeting them, the ploy had backfired. Darth Nihilus arrived at Kataar and had proceeded to consume all the life from the planet's surface.

 _"It was your teachings that destroyed the Jedi Order,"_ Atris stated coldly.

"Meetra saved the Order from extinction, or did you not acknowledge the authority of her students."

 _"It was not the Exile's actions that I speak of."_

"SHE HAS A GODDAMN NAME!" Revan shouted, leaping to his feet, "You two where friends once."

 _"She ceased to be that when she followed you to war."_

A tense silence developed between the two, but it was the Jedi Historian who ended up speaking first.

 _"Go back,"_ she instructed, _"Go to where you ended the war you started. See what your legacy has wrought."_

"Yeah, I'm not paying Rakata Prime a visit."

 _"We both know that you have the ability to traverse the flow of time."_

There was a species that dwelled within the Kathol Rift known as the Aing-Tii, whose Monks had developed several Force-related abilities. One such technique was called Flow-walking, which allowed an individual to observe the passage of time, even manipulate it to a degree. Having learned the ability for himself, he had come to reject it, realizing how quickly one could become obsessed.

"I'm not Flow-walking," he announced, "Nothing good can come of it."

 _"Even if it means denying yourself the chance to see your family?"_

"Don't play psychoanalyst with me! And don't you dare use them to try and manipulate me!"

 _"But you will, for the seed has already been planted."_

"You're a real sadist, you know that?"

He immediately strolled forward, passing through the ethereal body of the Historian in an attempt to rid himself of her presence. Choosing to head deeper into the wilderness, Revan discovered that she hadn't followed. Heading into the mountains, he found an area above the waterfall where he could resume his meditation. Taking a seat atop a nearby boulder, he crossed his legs beneath him and closed his damaged eyes. Her words occupied his thoughts, preventing him from achieving the inner peace that he desired.

"Damn you, Atris," he snarled.

Knowing that he would be unable to concentrate until he had seen it for himself, he centered himself within the Force. Detaching himself from his emotions, he allowed the currents to carry him away, the landscape changing to that of the Unknown World.

* * *

Location: Lehon

1000 BBY...

* * *

Snapping his eyes open, Revan now found himself kneeling before the ancient Rakata Temple. The structure was still as pristine as he remembered it, despite the passage of numerous centuries. Probing outward with his senses, he discovered that the planet was completely devoid of sentient life. The Rakata had already been in decline by the time of the Jedi Civil War, now they were extinct. Hearing the roar of a rancor, he immediately rose to his feet, turning around in time to witness the beast barrelling into the clearing. There was a human male seated atop the creature, his bald head glistening with beads of sweat. The Dark Side radiating off of him, which quickly filled the former Dark Lord with unease. Arriving at the outskirts of the temple, the man leapt down from his mount and took a step forward. He abruptly stopped upon passing him, leaving Revan to wonder if the Dark Sider had detected him. Utilizing Flow-walking would leave an imprint at that point in time, appearing to Force-sensitives as a blur. Realizing that the Sith had only been taking the cautious route, he followed after him as he mounted the steps of the temple and disappeared inside. The bald-headed man made his way throughout the temple, proceeding deeper as he combed every deserted hall and empty room. Reaching the bottom floor, far beneath the planet's surface, the Sith Lord entered into a chamber containing the remains of a massive computer. It wasn't the terminal that drew his attention, it was the arcane symbols etched on the stone wall behind it. One of the runes glowed faintly with a violet hue, which could've easily gone unnoticed. It drew the man's attention, however, who stepped forward and reached out with his hand. A feeling of dread welled up inside of Revan, which distracted him from the sound of turning gears, and the grinding of stone on stone. Turning his attention back to the man, he watched as he thrust his arm into the hole that had formed. As he drew it out, he stared in wonder at the four-sided pyramid he held in his hand. Revan instantly recognized what the artifact was; a Sith Holocron, one that he had constructed.

"No...," he gasped.

He watched as the man gently set the Holocron gently on the floor, then took a seat in front of it. The device began to sparkle and shimmer, projecting a small beam of light from the top of it. The particles scattered and diffused, shifting and spinning before coalescing into a cloaked figure, its features completely hidden by the hood of its heavy robe.

"I am Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Hard Truths

Location: Odessen

Present day...

* * *

Scrambling off the boulder, Revan collapsed at the river's edge, emptying the contents of his stomach. The water swept it way, but the force of his vomiting had cramped his stomach, causing tears to form in his eyes.

 _"Do you see it now?"_ Atris gloated, _"Inspired by your teachings, Bane reinvented the Sith Order. Where there were many, there became only two, and it was through his successors that Jedi were purged from the galaxy."_

"Damn you!"

 _"However indirect, know that it was you who destroyed the Galactic Republic."_

Leaping to his feet, the former Sith Lord was suddenly brandishing a holdout blaster he had hidden on his person.

"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed.

 _"You can't harm me with a blaster,"_ she declared, prompting Revan to level it against his own temple.

"Leave! Or I will."

The weapon trembled in his hand as Atris stared him down, her ghostly form shimmering out of existence. Letting the weapon fall from his grasp, he dropped to his knees and vomited a second time. Gasping for air, his blind eyes fell upon the blaster, discovering that the power pack hadn't been charged.

"Good thing she took me seriously."

He hadn't been bluffing, though he couldn't be sure that he would've been able to pull the trigger if she had goaded him further. Rising to his feet and snatching up the blaster, Revan decided he had spent long enough on the planet. Having restored his connection to the Force, there was no longer a reason why he needed to remain. Returning to the Jedi Temple was now the priority, as was retrieving the Datacube he had dropped. He wasn't sure what he would do following that, as it was a bridge he would have to cross when he got to it. Departing from the area, he headed back into the wilderness, following the path he had walked earlier. Heading up the ridge where the Ebon Hawk, he found Meetra meditating within the shadow of the freighter.

"Done already?" she asked, opening her eyes.

"Yeah...," he admitted, "My strength isn't getting any stronger."

"Hey! Your eyes aren't glowing anymore."

"They were glowing?"

"Ever since you learned Force-Sight on Takodana."

"It might be because my strength in the Force has been rejuvenated."

"Seems plausible," Meetra said, "Oh! Teethree was able to find that information for you."

"I'll look it over when I have the time."

"Alright. So what's our plan?"

"We should return to the temple," he suggested, "No reason why we should put it off any longer."

* * *

Location: Jedi Temple

Three days later...

* * *

Awoken from bed, Ben's immediate concern was to release the pressure building within his bladder. Flinging the covers from his body, the boy ventured into the hall and entered the refresher. He emerged after several minutes, his attention was drawn to the apartment's living room. Too occupied with needing to relieve himself, he hadn't noticed the light spilling into the hallway. Slowly making his way towards the entrance, he peered into the room and discovered his father asleep in an armchair. A thin book with a brown cover lay fallen on the floor, and Ben quickly moved to pick it up. Turning it over in his hands, his sky blue eyes fell upon the words written on the first page.

 _As hard as it was to become a Jedi, it was even harder to stop being one._

 _But I did._

 _By the time of the Great Drought, it had been years since I'd touched a Lightsaber._

 _Years spent hiding on Tatooine._

 _Years spent alone._

 _I wasn't General Obi-Wan Kenobi anymore._

 _I was no longer a Jedi Master._

 _I was only Ben._

Hearing his father stir, he lowered the book and sheepishly offered it back to the elder Skywalker.

"Sorry...," he said in a small voice.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Luke asked.

"Had to use the 'fresher."

Taking the book, his father gently placed it within a durasteel lockbox and closed the lid. Recognizing that it was the same lockbox he had found on Tatooine, he attempted to speak, but was cut off by his father.

"They're journals belonging to Obi-Wan. I finally had a chance to give them a read."

"What are they about?" Ben inquired.

"They detail his time while in exile on Tatooine," Luke answered, "The one you were looking at recounted a period of time known as the Great Drought."

"How can there be a drought on a desert planet?"

"It might sound ridiculous, but it did happen. The moisture farmers couldn't collect enough water from their vaporators keep themselves alive, let alone pay the 'water tax' the Jabba was enforcing."

"What happened?"

"One night I tried to steal back the water from Jabba's thugs," he replied, "Not exactly the smartest idea thought up by an eight-year-old."

"You weren't strung up by Jabba, so..."

"I wound up being knocked out in the ensuing chaos. I wasn't aware of it, but Obi-Wan had intervened when he sensed I was in danger. Later I woke up the next morning outside Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's farm."

"Are there more stories like that?"  
"I fell asleep before I had a chance to get to them," Luke admitted, "Which is what you should be doing."

"Alright...alright," the boy said, "Night dad."

"Good night, son."

Heading for the entryway, Ben stopped dead in his tracks once he had arrived at the threshold. He sensed a presence within the Temple, the very same one that had snuck into it just days earlier.

"Dad..."

"What is it, Ben?"

"It's him...the intruder's back."

"How do you know? Can you sense him?" he asked.

With his back to his father, Ben couldn't bring himself to turn around and provide his father an answer. Fortunately, the beeping of the Grand Master's communicator prevented him from having to do so.

"This is Skywalker."

"Master Skywalker, we've got a situation," K'Kruhk reported.

"Go ahead."

"There's an intruder in the Temple. The same one who broke in before."

Luke gave his son a glance, seeing that while the preteen still had his back to him, his body shaking visibly.

"Where is he right now, Master K'Kruhk?" he asked.

"The Meditative Gardens. He's just...sitting there."

"We're on our way."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Home

Location: Temple Garden

Ten minutes later...

* * *

Strolling into the Temple's Meditative Garden, Luke and Mara were silently greeted by Master Saba Sebatyne. Ben lagged behind them, his hands clutching the Datacron that had been forgotten. He had said nothing since leaving the apartment, which filled Mara with a growing concern.

"Has he moved at all?" Luke asked.

"No. Master K'Kruhk haz been observing him," stated the Barabel.

"Stay close, but keep yourself hidden."

Watching as Master Sebatyne vanished into the surrounding foliage, the trio continued towards the heart of the gardens. They found Revan kneeling amongst the Yavin flora, a yellow nimbus enveloping his body. Luke could sense K'Kruhk and Saba hidden within the foliage, ready to emerge if the situation called for it. As they drew closer to his location, they could make out the words of the former Sith Lord.

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no fear; there is power._

 _I am the heart of the Force._

 _I am the revealing fire of light._

 _I am the mystery of darkness._

 _In balance with chaos and harmony._

 _Immortal in the Force._

Rising his head, the shadow of his hood receded, revealing a Mandalorian mask that was dented and scarred. Mara shuddered at the man's lingering stare, her index finger tightening around the trigger of the blaster she was concealing behind her.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me," he stated, his voice sounding strangely like Kyle Katran's.

Reluctantly stepping forward, Ben offered the Datacron to the man who reached over and seized it with one hand. Triggering the device with his thumb, it projected the holographic image of his wife and son.

"You have my thanks. This is worth more to me then you could imagine."

Pocketing the device in one of his pouches, he immediately cast a look in Mara's direction.

"You can put the blaster away."

"You'll forgive me if I don't," she answered, pulling her son behind her, "What are you? Are you a Jedi, or a Sith?"

"Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. I am neither now, yet I hold both for what they are, pieces of a whole."

"That doesn't answer the question," Luke stated.

"What do you wish to hear?" he asked, rising to his feet, "That I once believed in the code of the Jedi? That I felt the call of the Sith, that I once held the galaxy by its throat? That for every good deed I did, I brought equal harm upon the galaxy? That what the greatest of the Sith Lords knew of evil, they learned from me?"

Luke felt Saba growing tension within the foliage, but the Barabel otherwise remained where she had hidden herself.

"What does it matter now?" he continued, "There is only so much comfort in knowing such things, and it is not who I am now."

"Why now? Why come back after all this time?" Mara inquired.

"I had little control over it. The hyperdrive of the Ebon Hawk suffered damaged when we made our escape from Dromund Kaas."

"Dromund Kaas? What were you doing there?" Luke questioned.

"You already know the answer."

"You left in search of the Sith Emperor," Mara announced.

"No. I left seeking to retrace the steps Malak and I took following the end of the Mandalorian Wars. My old memories had started to resurface, and I was being plagued by a nightmare featuring a storm-ravaged world. I had been there before, it's where Vitiate dominated our minds and turned us to the Dark Side."

There had been plenty of mystery surrounding Revan and Malak's fall to the Dark Side, now they knew it had been the Sith Emperor.

"I crash-landed on Nathema while searching, and wound up captured by a member of the Dark Council. Imprisoned for three years, I was eventually rescued by Meetra Surik and a Sith allied with her."

"What happened?" Luke asked.

"I...saw what would become of us," he admitted, "Our assassination attempt against Vitiate would fail, Meetra would die when our Sith 'ally' turned on us, and I would endure three hundred years as the Emperor's prisoner. Instead I wiped Scourge's mind and we fled from Dromund Kaas, but the Ebon Hawk was damaged during our escape."

Reaching up, the redeemed Jedi Knight flipped back the hood of his robes and removed his mask. Allowing the helm to fall unceremoniously to the ground, Revan turned his blind eyes to the Skywalker Family. He was an unremarkable-looking individual, with unkempt dark brown hair and a full beard. Studying the former Sith Lord more intently, he could sense that something was broken within him.

"It is you," Ben murmured.

"Hello, little brother."

"How do you know our son," Mara demanded.

"He saved my life," he answered.

Under the scrutinizing gaze of his parents, the boy immediately shifted his body so as to avoid it.

"How exactly was that?" Luke inquired.

"You no doubt experienced the disruption that effected the Force recently," Revan stated, crossing his arms.

"Yes," both replied.

"That was me. There exists a place where life is birthed into the Force. When the Ebon Hawk leapt into hyperspace my spirit became detached from my body and I was dragged into its depths. I have spent the past four thousand years trapped within that living hell."

Luke suppressed a shudder, remembering what it felt like when Exar Kun sundered his spirit. Turning his attention to Ben, he found that the youth was still looking away, though he was unsuccessful in keeping his trembling suppressed.

"During what you call the 'Yuuzhan Vong War', I encountered the unborn soul of your son."

Mara and Luke quickly exchanged a glance, but redeemed Jedi continued to speak unabated.

"And though I loathe to admit it..., I was forced to create a Force-Bond between himself and I."

"You did WHAT!?" Mara demanded.

"You must understand; it was the acts of a desperate man. That place was eroding my spirit, and a lesser being would have died of insanity long before they evaporated. It was took everything I had just to keep myself in one piece."

"Lotta good it did," Ben muttered.

"I am here, am I not? You came to my aid when I needed it the most."

"But your eyes..."

"A price that I'm willing to pay."

"Why come back here?" Luke asked, remembering the break in.

"Because...," he said, lip quivering slightly, "I don't know what to do."


End file.
